The Final Deck
Claridge's Hobby Shop – 9:30pm
He strode into Claridgde's with a purpose that night. He had promised he would only be a minute and after all, he needed to re-stock. They were only passing through Gotham after all. The tired looking owner gave him a nervous nod as he walked in. He looked up to find his prize. Aisle 1...Models...No.
Aisle 2...Paint...no. Aisle 3, 4, 5...Aisle 5..Cards and Games...that was it. "What de hell?!
A man in a purple suit was sweeping his arm wildly, knocking the playing cards off the shelf into what looked like a bag...a stained pillowcase actually. He had dealt with the crazies plenty of times before and he needed to get what he came here for before the loony had the entire shelf. As he strode up closer and closer, the crazy finally whipped his head around. Loony eyed him and finally shouted at him. "What!!" He got a closer look and almost gagged. Jagged scars ran from cheek to cheek, and his face slapped with make-up. Loony was also now bringing up a blade in front of him.
"Look, I just need one of those decks, no need to get testy." Loony looked at him and cocked his head to the side, as if contemplating this person who dared interrupt his shopping spree. "Why shouldn't I just slice you up right now?"
He sighed. Why couldn't a quick shopping trip ever be simple? "I just need one deck, that's all."
Loony eyed him again and licked the corner of his mouth, giggling slightly but saying nothing.
"Oh c'mon, next you gon' bully me for my lunch money? Just let me buy one. You don't need..(he peered into the slightly open bag)...45 decks of cards!" He continued to stare down the crazy and prepared himself to defend against the seemingly impending attack.
Loony suddenly began roaring with laughter, a sickening noise in it's sick abandon. "You...ah...ah..you're just a freak..like me...I can tell...hoo-hoo-haa-haa!" The crazy finally pulled out one deck in his stained pillowcase and began fumbling with it. He watched as Loony fiddled and tore at the pack, finally ripping out two cards and throwing the now mangled box containing the rest of the deck at him. Loony flashed them at him with a disturbing grin. Jokers.
How amusing, he thought. "Well friend, no harm no foul. I never really use those damn things anyway." Loony once again started in with his maniacal laughter and he took it as his cue to leave.
He threw a few bills at the counter and strode out. Walking back to the diner they were meeting at, he tossed the mangled card box in a nearby trash can and began shuffling the cards.
He took out his favorite, ignoring the sounds of sirens in the distance of this city that seemingly did not sleep. As he neared the diner he charged it up, feeling the electricity flow through his hand.
He spun into a dark alley and flung the charged ace of clubs into a garbage can, knocking it into the brick alley wall. "Gambit, ole boy, you still got it."
Marie turned the corner and gave him a coy but slightly disapproving look. "Ready to get out of here, Remy?" "You have no idea, chere."